A Shattered Sanctuary
by kestrel-452
Summary: The Master's chains shall be broken, Guardian hidden will arise, all questions asked will be answered once the serpent succumbs to demise. plz R & R


A SHATTERED SANCTUARY   
  
Prologue   
  
Summary: After a certain Death Eater somehow manages to stop by Private Drive for a little "Hello",   
  
Harry's world is turned upside down. Now in their final year at Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, and Ron discover a prophecy   
  
that holds promise of immense power for each of them, and warns against a great wave that will plunge the magical world into   
  
unending darkness. What's worse is that despite the fact that Harry's strange new abilities seem to be occurring unexpectedly,   
  
Voldemort has finally found a sure fired way of getting rid of the illustrious Mr. Potter for good. On top of all that Harry can't seem to   
  
control his powers or himself.  
  
******************************  
  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers   
  
including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made   
  
and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Also, the little conversation between cedric and Harry, save for the part with  
  
"I thought you were dead" "Of course I am" is an excerpt taken from Gof  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: As this is my first ever fic I would like to ask you not to be too harsh... I would also like to thank   
  
Elliott for betaing (hmm, not sure if that made any sense) this for me. I are at your service oh wise one!   
  
Oh and I can't forget Marc who supplied me with a much needed title. Kudos to you!  
  
******************************  
  
It was dark and the smell of smoke, sweat, and blood hung thick in the air. All around were the sounds of war,   
  
and yet everything was a blur. Harry turned and saw a lone figure silhouetted in the darkness slowly making it's way towards him.   
  
As it got closer, Harry could make out a faint smile on his lips. He looked familiar; something was tugging at him in the back of his mind.   
  
Where had he seen that smile before?   
  
"Both of us," Harry said.   
  
"What?"   
  
"We'll take it at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it."   
  
"You- you sure?"   
  
"Yeah." ...   
  
For a moment he looked as though he couldn't believe his ears, then his face split in a grin...   
  
"Cedric?"  
  
Harry asked in disbelief looking the other boy up and down.   
  
Cedric Diggory was dead.  
  
Wasn't he?   
  
"But I thought you were dead," Harry said, fear creeping into his voice. Cedric's smile faded and his face went pale.   
  
His gray eyes became blank and expressionless.   
  
"Of course I am, Harry."   
  
And with that, a flash of green light nearly blinded him. He covered his eyes and he heard something slump to the ground.   
  
No.   
  
He already knew who it was before he opened his eyes. This couldn't be happening.   
  
Not again. Harry thought.   
  
His vision had cleared and Cedric lay before him spread-eagled on the ground just as before.   
  
Harry wasn't surprised though when he noticed he was on the Quidditch pitch and all around him Death Eaters,  
  
students and teachers were fighting, bellowing curses and hexes. Some wands lay on the ground forgotten,   
  
as their owners in a fit of anger preferred their fists. The air was filled with people crying out in agony or screaming in anger and frustration.   
  
What pained Harry the most was that all around him were faces that he knew and grew up with. Neville's once scared, timid face was now   
  
scarred with hate, his teeth clenched in determination. Justin Finch-Fletchley lay on the ground bloodied and torn;   
  
his wand lay, useless at his feet. The eyes of his opponent showed no mercy as he pointed a wand straight at Justin's chest.   
  
Death Eaters surrounded Professor Flitwick, a champion dueler, his face now hard-set all trace of merriment long gone.   
  
People were staggering out of the burning stands, only to fall, their charred bodies smoking. Harry stood there rooted at the spot   
  
looking at the carnage now displayed in front of his eyes.   
  
A tall gangly person staggered out of the stands. A smaller figure was leaning on him as they both sank to the ground in pain and defeat.   
  
The child lay still but the boy's eyes fluttered open as Harry approached him and knelt at his side.   
  
Tears sprang to Harry's eyes as he noted the faint tinge of red amongst black in the boy's hair.   
  
His skin was raw and his raspy breathing was all Harry could hear at the moment.   
  
His clothes were rugged and torn, and he reached up and placed a charred, thin hand on Harry's shoulder.   
  
Ron's breath came out in deep shuddering gasps as he said,   
  
"H-Harry..."   
  
"Don't talk," Harry whispered.   
  
A single tear ran down his cheek as Ron's blue eyes, which was the only color that stood out, went dull and lifeless just like   
  
Cedric's had done moments ago. His best friend's arm went limp and fell to the ground with a silent thump.   
  
"Ron!"   
  
"Granger, get back if you know what's good for you!"   
  
The threat rang out loud and clear. Anger surged through him mixing with the immense despair that filled him as he recognized the voice.   
  
Malfoy. Harry whirled around and his eyes widened. He barley noticed his jaw dropping as he saw the Death Eaters   
  
and Dementors who were advancing on Malfoy, Ginny and Hermione. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Had the   
  
death of his best friend turned him completely insane?   
  
Amazingly enough, Malfoy was actually standing in front of the girls, on arm out in a protective gesture. In his other hand he held a scimitar.   
  
Draco Malfoy was actually protecting Ginny and Hermione! Was this a dream or a nightmare? Harry watched, unable to do a thing as the enemies   
  
closed in on them. He watched as Draco, putting up a fight, fell first, then Ginny and last Hermione, whose eyes were blazing, wand raised,   
  
knocked out and killed the remaining Death Eaters. But the Dementors got her. Hermione and Ron were gone and Harry couldn't do anything   
  
about it. He saw Hermione's body, now an empty shell fall to the ground like a pile of rags, and he cried out in disbelief,   
  
"NO!"   
  
He was bathed in darkness and suddenly out of nowhere an immense pain surged through him. A white, hot pain ravaged his body and tore at   
  
his soul. The pain was beyond anything he had ever experienced. His scar searing and burning left him weak and numb.   
  
He couldn't talk.   
  
He couldn't think.   
  
He couldn't even scream.   
  
A hand.   
  
A single steel hand floating out of the darkness came to him. It floated right in front of his face, but Harry became more aware of it once it   
  
had wrapped itself around his neck endlessly squeezing tighter and tighter.   
  
He couldn't breathe!   
  
Air!   
  
He needed air!   
  
His need for air was overwhelming, and the pain was eating away at him.   
  
He was falling into a pool of darkness, and faint images floated around in his head.   
  
He saw Ron and Hermione. He saw Hagrid, Sirius, and Dumbledore.   
  
He saw the Dursleys, his parents, his teachers, his classmates. Blood. His blood. His scar was bleeding   
  
and the blood was seeping into his eyes blinding him. Harry heard a cruel hard laugh, and he was faintly aware of someone   
  
calling his name. "Harry. Harry! Boy! HARRY!"   
  
He was now floating, his body shutting down and the hand finally released him.   
  
Too late.   
  
His neck crushed, his eyes closed, his heart beating feebly, Harry heard a single word uttered in a fierce, mocking whisper.   
  
He knew what was to be said before he took his last deep shuddering breath.  
  
"Soon."   
  
And Harry Potter's eyes flew open to reveal that he was in his own bed in his own room. No foreboding hand, no battle was going on.   
  
Instead, a big, beefy, blurry face loomed over him, and thick hands were on his shoulders fiercely shaking him awake.   
  
***************************  
  
"I'm awake. I'm awake."   
  
His hand shook slightly as he wiped the sweat off his forehead and ran his fingers through his tousled hair.   
  
His hands groped for his glasses on the nightstand, and when he put them on he saw his Uncle Vernon's face.   
  
His lamp was on and he noticed his door was slightly ajar, revealing Aunt Petunia and Dudley staring at him.   
  
Uncle Vernon's face was pale and worried. Worried? Uncle Vernon looking worried about him? Now that was rich.   
  
Am I still dreaming? Harry thought, a confused expression hung on his face. "What are you staring at, boy?" bellowed Uncle Vernon   
  
"Nothing,"   
  
Harry mumbled as he got out of bed. His uncle started for the door.   
  
"Could have thought you were dying with all that screaming going on," he said as he reached the door.   
  
Harry ignored him, and looked in the mirror trying but not succeeding to flatten his hair.   
  
"Are you ok?"   
  
Uncle Vernon mumbled. Harry froze; he hands still on his head.   
  
"What?"   
  
He was now convinced that he was still dreaming.   
  
"Are you ok?"   
  
Uncle Vernon mumbled a bit louder, his voice gruff. Harry was silent. He didn't know if he should answer or not.   
  
"Well? You heard me, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon. "I-I'm fine," Harry said, his voice shaking.   
  
"Then what are you doing standing there?! Go downstairs and make some breakfast!" With that he left his room and Harry confused   
  
about what had just happened. He could hear him grumbling about waking up the whole estate as he walked down the hall. 


End file.
